Hariri will help form new Lebanon government

Beirut, Lebanon (CNN) -- Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri returned to his crisis-plagued homeland Friday, pledging his cooperation in the forming of a new government.

"We will cooperate with the president to the utmost degree to achieve forming a government that commits to national consensus needs and creates an opportunity for the country to let wisdom prevail over factors of pressure and tension," Hariri said in a televised news conference after meeting with President Michel Suleiman.

Members of the powerful Hezbollah movement and its allies resigned their ministerial posts Wednesday, collapsing Hariri's consensus government.

Suleiman asked Hariri to remain as head of a caretaker administration and requested that Cabinet members continue their duties until a new government can be formed.

He issued a decree scheduling parliamentary consultations early next week to name the next prime minister, who will then attempt to form the new government.

Back in Beirut after trips to the United States, France and Turkey, Hariri said the resignations of the 11 ministers were a democratic right at the core of Lebanon's constitution. But he said the collective move breached the spirit of a 2008 agreement that led to the unity government.

"Lebanon needs the efforts of all its people, but is first in need of the wisdom of its leadership and the awareness of decision makers to the fact that we all have no alternative to dialogue and that no one side can eliminate the other in Lebanon," Hariri said.

Hariri's government and Hezbollah had been at an impasse over the investigation by a U.N.-backed special tribunal of the 2005 assassination of Rafik Hariri, the premier's father. It is widely expected the tribunal will indict members of the Shiite Muslim Hezbollah, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department.

Hezbollah had been pressuring Hariri's government to denounce the tribunal. The failure to reach a breakthrough has raised the specter of renewed sectarian bloodshed.

The United States and the United Nations both urged all political factions to exercise restraint.

"It is now more important than ever that all sides commit to constructive dialogue and avoid escalating tensions in the country," said U.S. Ambassador Maura Connelly.

Connelly said the United States will continue to work with Hariri "as head of Lebanon's caretaker government on all of the issues of vital importance in the U.S.-Lebanese bilateral relationship".

"The United States continues to support the Special Tribunal for Lebanon as the Lebanese people's best hope for putting its tragic and bloody history of political violence behind it," she said. "As the United States and the international community have said from the beginning, the STL is an irrevocable, international judicial process; its work is not a matter of politics but of law. The resignation of some of Lebanon's ministers will not change this".

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said at a Friday news conference that the world body's position remains the same: the tribunal is an independent, international judiciary system whose deliberations should never be interfered with.

The Lebanese constitution stipulates that the president must hold consultations with members of parliament -- individually or by parliamentary blocs -- to name the candidates for prime minister.

The candidate who gets the most votes or nominations is then named prime minister and asked to form a government. CNN

Stampede kills 100 in southern India

(CNN) -- One-hundred people died and 14 were injured during a stampede near a religious temple in southern India, the home secretary of Kerala state said.

Pilgrims were returning from a Hindu ritual at a temple when a vehicle overturned, prompting the stampede, said Home Secretary Jai Kumar.

The incident occurred about 5 miles from the Sabarimala Temple, Kumar said.

The vehicle struck many of the people in a narrow stretch through a forest, the news agency Press Trust of India reported. CNN

Iraqis in Sadr stronghold protest Biden

NAJAF, Iraq, Jan. 14 (UPI) -- Residents in the Iraqi holy city of Najaf took to the streets following Friday prayers complaining of U.S. Vice President Joe Biden's visit to the country.

In Baghdad, on his last stop before returning to the United States, Biden visited with U.S. troops at Camp Victory.

He said the United States will end its military involvement in Iraq responsibly, leaving behind a country that is worthy of the sacrifices "that so many of your brothers and sisters have made".

The United States ended its combat mission in August, leaving behind about 50,000 troops who remain mostly in an advisory role and for training.

Throngs of Iraqis took to the streets of the Shiite holy city of Najaf following Friday prayers calling on U.S. forces to leave the country, the Voices of Iraq news agency reported.

Najaf is home to anti-American Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr, who returned to Iraq last week after living in exile in Iran. He fled Iraq in 2007 after U.S. forces descended on his supporters following post-invasion guerrilla war in the Sadr City slum of Baghdad.

Sadr in a speech last weekend called on his followers in Najaf to speak out against what he says is the American occupation of Iraq. UPI

China sets air pollution reduction goal

BEIJING, Jan. 14 (UPI) -- China says it is implementing new environmental standards to reduce vehicle and industrial emissions into the atmosphere.

With the goal of a smog-free future, the Ministry of Environmental Protection added ammonia nitrogen and nitrogen oxide to its list of reduction targets, the British newspaper The Guardian reported Friday.

Increased measures will be taken to cut vehicles' exhausts and to tackle the worst polluting industries such as paper-making, textiles and chemical plants, the ministry said.

The announcement comes in advance of China's new five-year economic plan, which is expected to include greater environmental protection requirements.

It wasn't until 2005 that China included modest pollution reduction targets in the state plan.

Those first targets were achieved, although Beijing and other major cities remain shrouded in smog for much of the year.

Analysts say Chinese officials now have the confidence to add tougher targets to make a tangible impact.

"What they are trying to do this time is really push the ball forward to do enough to actually make a visible difference," Deborah Seligsohn of the World Resources Institute said. "You are seeing a transition from showing effect to showing results". UPI

Kyrgyz leaders investigate ethnic violence

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, Jan. 14 (UPI) -- Kyrgyzstan officials found an assault rifle allegedly used by Islamic militants during clashes in the country's south in June, the interior minister said.

The government has fought for control since an April coup. Hundreds of people were killed during summer violence between Kyrgyz and ethnic Uzbeks in the southern regions of Osh and Jalal Abad.

Kyrgyz Interior Minister Zarylbek Rysaliev told lawmakers that forensic evidence taken from an assault rifle stolen from government storage during an April coup was used by ethnic Kyrgyzs against Special Forces in June.

He said explosives tied to the cache that contained the assault rifle were similar to those used in an explosion targeting a sports complex in November.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Bishkek in December as part of a state visit to Western allies in Central Asia. Her visit was precipitated by an explosion in front of a sports arena hosting a trial for members of the regime of Kurmanbek Bakiyev who were accused of abuses in the aftermath of the coup.

An official investigation, looking into ethnic violence that gripped parts of southern Kyrgyzstan after an April coup led Bakiyev to flee the country, blamed Uzbek leaders and Bakiyev backers for the conflict. Washington said it was concerned about allegations of torture during the unrest and analysts said Bishkek wasn't yet ready to conduct "an honest investigation" into the June conflicts. UPI

U.N. 'concerned' by Ivorian violence

UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 14 (UPI) -- The United Nations is "deeply concerned" about the escalation of violence in the Ivory Coast following attacks on peacekeepers, the secretary-general said.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in a statement through his spokesman, warned leaders in the Ivory Coast that they would be held accountable for attacks on U.N. forces in the country.

Forces loyal to incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo set a U.N. vehicle on fire and later forced a U.N. ambulance to flee parts of Abidjan amid lingering violence.

"The secretary-general is deeply concerned that regular and irregular forces loyal to Gbagbo have begun to attack and burn United Nations' vehicles," he said through his spokesman.

"Beginning this morning, there have been a total of six incidents involving such attacks in Abidjan where (a peacekeeper's) military vehicle was burned. A doctor and the driver of an ambulance targeted in one of the attacks were injured".

Gbagbo refused to step down after the U.N. Security Council passed a resolution recognizing Alassane Ouattara as the winner of a presidential election meant to unite country divided by civil war in 2002.

The 15 members of the Economic Community of West African States have tried to broker a peaceful settlement to the issue and warned they would consider military force to pressure Gbagbo to step aside.

Hundreds of people were killed in the political violence that erupted after the November election. Washington hit Gbagbo with sanctions as international pressure on the incumbent mounted. UPI

Hariri returns home to face political fate

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Jan. 14 (UPI) -- Lebanon's caretaker prime minister returned to Beirut Friday to face lawmakers who one analyst said might be ready for a fight after the government collapsed.

Saad Hariri, Lebanon's caretaker prime minister, left Istanbul to return Friday following a whirlwind tour that took him to Washington and Paris amid controversy surrounding a tribunal probing the 2005 assassination of his father.

Hariri was in Washington meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama when Hezbollah led opposition lawmakers in a walkout Wednesday that collapsed the fragile unity government in Beirut.

Hezbollah is upset that Hariri is supporting the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which the Shiite movement said is part of an Israeli project meant to discredit the group.

Jamal Wakim at the Lebanese International University told al-Jazeera the political crisis is "very serious" with the potential for conflict likely without a quick settlement.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, however, said the resignation of the 11 opposition ministers wasn't going to usher in an era of war in Lebanon.

The STL is expected to name Hezbollah members when it releases its indictment, which could come as early as next week.

The opposition March 8 movement was quoted by Lebanon's Daily Star newspaper as saying that it would put forward names for a new government within 48 hours.

Hariri had no public comments Friday. UPI

Judge calms man holding gun to himself

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Jan. 14 (UPI) -- A man pointed a gun at himself inside a Fort Lauderdale, Fla., courthouse Friday morning but surrendered without injury, police said.

Marin Stroia, 59, of Oakland Park walked into the Broward County Courthouse through an exit at 9:25 a.m., the sheriff's office told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. As deputies approached, he sat on the floor and pointed a gun at his chest and demanded to see a judge.

Retired Judge Joel Lazarus, who was filling in at bond court, came downstairs but told Stroia, "I won't go down there until you put the gun down".

Once deputies secured the gun, Lazarus said, he spoke to Stroia for 10 to 15 minutes about his divorce case.

"He was ranting and raving about his divorce situation, but not incoherently," Lazarus said. "He needed to vent; he needed someone to listen to his problems".

Lazarus told Stroia to write to him about his situation and promised to pass his concerns to Chief Judge Victor Tobin.

Stroia was taken into custody peacefully. UPI

Colleges assess 'students of concern'

WASHINGTON, Jan. 14 (UPI) -- Some U.S. colleges are keeping tabs on potentially dangerous students through "threat assessment teams" amid debate over students' rights, officials say.

Around 80 percent of universities nationwide have started such programs since the 2007 massacre at Virginia Tech that left 32 people dead, USA Today reported Friday.

A Behavior Assessment Committee at Pima Community College in Arizona had identified alleged gunman Jared Loughner as a student of concern and suspended him months before the shooting that killed six and injured 13 others.

In the wake of the shooting, some are asking whether the school should have done more to help Loughner or alert authorities outside the campus environment.

After Pima suspended Loughner it steered him toward mental health treatment.

"The school did what they were supposed to do, which is protect their school, require an evaluation," Brian Van Brunt, president of the American College Counseling Association, said.

However, some mental health officials argue that suspension is inappropriate.

"The fear is that rather than using (teams) as a vehicle to support students, they're using them as a vehicle to get rid of them," said Karen Bower, an attorney at Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, an advocate for mentally ill people.

An estimated 1,600 campuses have threat assessment teams today.

"We try to look at each case objectively, to see whether we're dealing with a goofy, immature kid, or someone who's truly a danger," said Patricia Lunt, head of Campus Assessment, Response and Evaluation Teams at Northern Virginia Community College. UPI

Rising homelessness challenges Florida

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Jan. 14 (UPI) -- South Florida is struggling to deal with a rise in homelessness, officials and charities say.

"A new face of homeless has emerged in our community because there has been a staggering increase in family homelessness," Diana Stanley, executive director of the Lord's Place in Palm Beach County, told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. "When people think of the homeless, they think of the person standing on a street corner begging, but more and more it's families -- families with children".

In Fort Lauderdale, where homeless people gathering in a park have caused complaints, Mayor Jack Seiler wants to open two short-term centers where charities can feed them.

Palm Beach County, which has seen a 62 percent jump in homeless students, is building its first homeless resource center after years of delay, and towns are debating a crackdown on panhandling in the streets.

Both Broward and Palm Beach counties will send out volunteers this month to get their first homeless count in two years. They will search parks, shelters, soup kitchens, labor camps, libraries and bus terminals in a 24-hour period.

Social service advocates expect to find more than the 5,300 people who were counted two years ago. UPI

Pirates capture dhow sailing from Dubai

An Indian dhow MSV Al-Musa sailing from Dubai to Salalah has been attacked by pirates off the coast of Oman. According to India's directorate of shipping, pirates have taken about 14 Indians hostage.

The incident occurred on Sunday when the dhow was sailing at about 50 miles off Oman and about 800 nautical miles from the Somali coast carrying food items.

The number of piracy related incidents has been on the rise with 26 additional attacks in 2010 compared to 2009.

According to the latest statistics made available by the International Maritime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Centre, there has already been 15 pirate attacks across the world within the first eleven days of 2011 – fourteen of which belong to the Somalian region – with two successful hijackings and 41 sailors taken hostage.

India's Directorate General of Shipping has urged its citizens not to take up jobs on small dhows n the Gulf of Aden region.

There has also been an increase in the piracy related incidents in the central and eastern Arabian sea.

Last October a Sri Lankan captain was killed in a pirate attack in international waters when the ship was returning to the UAE from Iran carrying petroleum products.

Meanwhile, London-based BAE Systems says it has successfully demonstrated a non-lethal prototype device that can deter pirates from attacking commercial vessels such as oil tankers and container ships.

The devise will send a laser beam capable of providing a visual warning to pirates at distances greater than 2km, and of disorientating attackers sufficiently at lesser distances so that weapons cannot be targeted effectively. The power levels of the laser however will remain eye safe, says a statement issued by BAE systems.

Roy Evans, BAE Systems capability technology lead for laser photonic systems, said: “The effect is similar to when a fighter pilot attacks from the direction of the sun. The glare from the laser is intense enough to make it impossible to aim weapons like AK47s or RPGs, but doesn’t have a permanent effect”.

The laser was trialled during night and day in varying weather conditions and cameras were placed at the target location to demonstrate the level of beam intensity and divergence produced by the test runs. Beam oscillation techniques were also demonstrated.

“We successfully showed that the laser works not just during the night, but also in full daylight. But, there are many more requirements to meet before placing a non-lethal laser weapon on commercial ships," Evans added.

When fitted on commercial ships the laser distraction system could utilise its own targeting capability or integrate with existing ship radar and sensor systems to control the direction and power of the beam. It could therefore work semi-autonomously and would also include security features to ensure it could not be used by pirates if they boarded the ship. Emirates 24|7

Kuwait's interior minister asked to stay in post

Kuwait's interior minister handed in his resignation on Thursday over allegations that police had tortured a man to death, but a state minister asked him to stay on in the post.

Kuwaiti lawmakers, citing interior ministry sources, have accused police of torturing to death a man detained on suspicion of illegal possession of alcohol. The death was first reported by local media earlier this week.

Interior Minister Sheikh Jaber Khaled al-Sabah had denied the allegations but a parliamentary source said Sabah submitted his resignation on Thursday.

The minister of state for cabinet affairs, Roudhan Al-Roudhan, later told the state news agency KUNA he had asked Sabah to remain in his post and to continue the investigation into the case.

The dead man, Mohammed al-Muteiry, was detained by police on suspicion of possessing 24 bottles of alcohol -- a criminal offence in Kuwait.

Kuna, citing an interior ministry statement, said Muteiry had admitted to the crime but resisted the police by attacking several officers.

Details of a forensics report released by KUNA on Thursday said there was evidence of "criminal activity".

"The doctors' committee specialising in forensics formed to investigate the death of the citizen Mohammed Ghazay al-Maymouny al-Muteiry has demonstrated there was suspected criminal activity behind his death," the report was quoted as saying.

Sabah was already under pressure after a police crackdown on an opposition gathering in December wounded several people.

That incident triggered a move by three opposition members of parliament to question the prime minister. He survived a vote against him that could have potentially either forced him to resign or dissolved the parliament. Emirates 24|7

Gang of maid kidnappers busted in Sharjah

Sharjah Police have arrested a gang of five Indians who would kidnap housemaids and then force them to work as sex slaves.

The Sharjah CID received information that the accused were running a brothel in Sharjah.

After confirming the information the CID launched an intensive investigation and found that the gang would impersonate security men, wearing kandouras and travel in rented cars.

The CID also learnt that the gand had recently kidnapped a girl from a neighboring emirate and were keeping her in the Al Yarmouk area of Sharjah.

Finally, Sharjah Police raided the apartment and arrested them and rescued four girls of Indian and Bangladeshi nationality.

The apartment also contained a large cache of alcohol.

The case now goes to court. Emirates 24|7

'Money Rain' man gets three years jail

A 30-year-old blacksmith was sentenced to three years in jail after the Dubai Court of First Instance convicted him of sorcery and dealing with genies, claiming that he could make $25 million (Dh91.81 million) in cash rain from the sky.

Prosecutors charged him with possessing $34,000 in counterfeit currency for trading purposes.

Pronouncing judgment yesterday, the court fined the accused Dh5,000 for possessing counterfeit currency for trading purposes. The defendant will be deported after the completion of his jail term.

According to prosecution records, the defendant asked the Emirati policeman to bring seawater after performing a prayer and then I.O. brought an empty metal box to pour the dollars into.

The policeman testified: "An informant tipped Dubai Police's economic crimes section that the defendant was claiming supernatural powers and that he deals in sorcery to deceive people and gain illegal profits".

"We met in a flat in Al Mamzar. I brought the stuff he asked me to get… he placed a cloth on the floor and asked me to pray. Then he asked me to pray so that the money came down, and he asked me to go to the beach and get seawaters".

"On my way there, he informed me over the phone that the genies arrived with the money. I returned… he asked me to pray six times until genies filled the box with money. Then he asked me to give him Dh200 as tip for the genies… thereafter police arrested him in a sting operation". Emirates 24|7

Pilgrims killed in stampede at Indian festival

At least 45 pilgrims have been killed in a stampede at a religious festival in the southern Indian state of Kerala, officials say.

Scores more have been injured in the crush, which was reportedly triggered by a road accident.

The pilgrims were returning from the Hindu shrine of Sabarimala, which is in a remote, mountainous, densely-forested area.

State officials said the death toll could rise.

It was not immediately clear how the stampede had begun.

The Indian PTI news agency said a jeep carrying pilgrims had driven into a crowd returning from the shrine, starting a panic.

However, the Times of India reported that the incident happened when the jeep broke down and overturned as pilgrims tried to move it.

It crushed a number of people and caused others to stumble, which then triggered the stampede, the report said. BBC News

Tunisian PM takes over as interim president of embattled country

Tunis, Tunisia (CNN) -- Tunisia's prime minister announced Friday that he is the interim president of his country's embattled government, the latest development in a fast-moving story of unrest and public outrage in a tiny but significant corner of the Arab world.

Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi announced on Tunisian state TV that he has taken over the responsibilities of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali -- who has ruled the nation since 1987.

"Based on constitution law No. 56, if the president of the republic cannot fulfill his duties, there will be an interim decision to move his executive powers to the prime minister," he said.

"Considering the fact that at the current time he (Ben Ali) cannot fulfill his duties, I take over today, the powers of the president of the republic.

"And I urge all the sons and daughters of Tunisia, from all political and intellectual backgrounds, of every affiliation, to adhere to the true national spirit. So we can safeguard our nation that is so dear to us, in order to overcome this difficult phase and return security.

"I pledge to respect the constitution and will pay specific attention to and will carry out the political, economic and social reforms that been announced this week. And to consult with all national parties of all political affiliations and all populations for the best of the nation".

The development comes amid media reports that Ben Ali has left the country following outrage over poor living conditions and repression of rights. Protesters who have held daily demonstrations have denounced corruption in the Ben Ali government and urged that he leave office.

Earlier Friday, Ben Ali dissolved the government and declared a state of emergency, state TV reported. He also called for parliamentary elections within six months. The moves came days after the president dumped the interior minister and fired a couple of aides.

Ben Ali was reacting to instability ripping through the North African country. He announced concessions in a nationally televised address Thursday to meet some grievances.

Officials said the reason for the emergency declaration is to protect Tunisians and their private property. People are not allowed on the street from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Early Friday evening, the streets in the capital, Tunis, were quiet. The airport in Tunis is essentially under a lockdown, with the facility closed and ringed by soldiers.

As part of the emergency, people in gatherings of three or more will be arrested or, if they try to run away and can't be stopped, will be fired on.

Earlier Friday, police, wielding batons and firing tear gas, dispersed demonstrators, a show of force that aggravated a peaceful gathering in the capital.

Security forces were seen brutally beating protesters, and the demonstrators fled. Fires were seen in the center of Tunis and downtown, and smoke was coming from a couple of locations.

The incident underscored concerns among Tunisians and in the international community that security forces have been badly overreacting to peaceful gatherings of protesters.

Tunisia is a pro-Western state supportive of U.S. policy in the Middle East and in the battle against terrorism.

It has been a relatively stable and more prosperous country in what diplomats call "a rough neighborhood".

The education level in Tunisia is relatively high for the Arab world, and the country is closely linked to France and French culture.

U.S. State Department officials said Friday the Obama administration is closely monitoring the situation in Tunisia and is urging all parties to work together peacefully to resolve the political unrest.

"We are calling for calm," one official said. "Obviously the people have expressed concerns, and it is the responsibility of the government to work toward responding to the concerns of its people.

"Clearly there are divisions within society that need to be healed. ... We call on parties to come together for political dialogue".

The United States, France, and Britain have issued travel advisories, strongly warning against nonessential visits, and a tourism company announced the evacuation of 2,000 German vacationers.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the organization is closely monitoring the situation in Tunisia and has called for restraint, respect for freedom of expression and dialogue to resolve problems peacefully.

Earlier, thousands congregated in front of the Interior Ministry and chanted slogans such as "Get out!" and "Freedom for Tunisia!".

Haykal Maki, a pro-opposition lawyer who was in the throng, said protesters wanted a "regime change," the resignation of Ben Ali and lawsuits addressing the regime's corruption.

Recent diplomatic cables from the U.S. Embassy in Tunisia obtained by WikiLeaks reveal growing disquiet with the government -- and especially nepotism within the government.

WikiLeaks published a 2009 cable recounting a lavish dinner for the U.S. ambassador given by Ben Ali's son-in-law, Mohamed Sakher El Materi, a prominent businessman.

The ambassador wrote in the cable: "After dinner, he served ice cream and frozen yogurt he brought in by plane from Saint Tropez (a high-end French resort), along with blueberries and raspberries and fresh fruit and chocolate cake".

The wave of demonstrations in Tunisia -- in which people protested high unemployment, alleged corruption, rising prices and limitations on rights -- was sparked by the suicide of an unemployed college graduate, a man who torched himself in December after police confiscated his fruit cart, cutting off his source of income.

Ben Ali on Thursday vowed to cut prices of basic foodstuffs, to lift censorship and to ensure police do not use live ammunition except in self-defense, and he indicated that he would not run again for president.

There was no evidence that live ammunition was used in Tunis on Friday to disperse the crowd.

"Enough violence," Ben Ali said after at least 21 people had died in days of riots.

The 74-year-old president added that he would not push to change the law setting an age limit for presidential candidates in the next election, set for 2014.

By then, he would have exceeded the 75-year age limit. "There will not be presidency for life," he said.

Organized mainly by the country's lawyers' union and other unions, Friday's demonstration came under the watchful eye of a contingent of riot police officers.

But the protesters were not shy about slamming the government and Ben Ali. Demonstrators shouted, "Public trial for the president's family!" and "Yes to water and bread, but no to Ben Ali!".

Reem Ben Yousef, a 37-year-old university professor, told CNN the protesters say the ruling family has robbed citizens and they want them to depart from public life.

Reem said that Ben Ali's address was staged and he was cynical about the presence of a pro-government demonstration after his speech.

"We do not believe in Ben Ali and his regime," she said. CNN